The Institution of Engineering and Technology Ghana (IET-GH) has urged engineers to uphold strict ethical standards and resist corruption, professional compromise and shortcuts in the execution of projects.

President of the Institution, Engr. Wonder Salami Davor, says engineers must place public interest above personal gain and ensure that their professional decisions are guided by integrity, quality and sustainability.

He cautioned newly inducted engineers against compromising professional standards for profit, warning that such practices could undermine public safety and derail Ghana’s development.

“We must look at our situation and design engineering solutions that suit us. Again, your integrity must be solid. They should not compromise and fall for institutional corruption that is centred on profit-taking and cutting corners,” he said.

Engr. Wonder Salami Davor was speaking at the induction ceremony of new members in the Middle Belt Sector into the Institution of Engineering and Technology Ghana.

The ceremony, themed “Engineering Ghana's Future, Innovation, Integrity, and Sustainable Development,” formally inducted new members into the profession, with a commitment to competence and ethical conduct.

Stakeholders contended that as Ghana confronts challenges including energy insecurity, infrastructure deficits, environmental degradation, climate change and industrialisation, engineers have a critical role to play in developing innovative and sustainable solutions.

The call for professional integrity comes amid concerns over the growing attrition of engineers from Ghana, which the IET-GH attributes partly to limited opportunities for local professionals to apply their expertise.

Engr. Davor says Ghanaian engineers have the skills and capacity to execute sophisticated projects but are often denied opportunities, while foreign professionals contracted for projects in Ghana sometimes rely on local engineers because of their competence.

He says the lack of opportunities is forcing trained and certified engineers to seek better prospects abroad, resulting in Ghana losing professionals it has invested heavily in training.

“The engineers we have in the country are well skilled. They have the capacity and even those who come from outside employ our engineers for their projects. And our engineers do it because they are not given the opportunity. They go outside and perform excellently,” he said.

He therefore called on government institutions and private developers to create more opportunities for local engineers to contribute to national development.

“The attrition is a serious phenomenon because if we train them and certify them and they are idle, then they will leave with their talents and capabilities. And it’s the country that loses,” he said.

Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the Kumasi Technical University, Prof. Julius Cudjoe Ahiekpor, also stressed the need for engineers to protect professional standards in the delivery of national projects.

He urged engineers to reject substandard materials, shortcuts and practices that place personal interests above the public good.

“We must insist that quality standards are held at all times, reject shortcuts, substandard materials, professional compromise and any practice that places personal gains over public interest,” he said.